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March 6, 2015

Vintage pastels aplenty? Yes, pretty please!

{In the mood for a marvelous new vintage springtime chapeau? Look no further than this charmingly elegant 1950s Lord & Taylor Fifth Avenue ladies cream straw hat with pink velvet ribbon, coordinating pink flowers, and clear rhinestones. It's jaunty, lightweight, and extremely well suited to the warmer half of the year. $34.00 Chronically Vintage on Etsy.}

{Wave goodbye to snowflakes and hello to sun-kissed blooms when you slip on this pair of delightfully lovely 1950s/1960s light blue and green enamel coated metal flower clip-on earrings. $15.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.}

{Sweet-as-candy light pink thermoset plastic combines with shiny silver tone metal in this 1950s demi-parure to create a fabulous mid-century jewelry set that is every bit as chic as it is lovely - not to mention very springtime appropriate. $32.00 (for the set) from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.}

{I swooned long and hard the moment I first laid eyes on this wonderfully pretty, very vintage appropriate Heart Cardi in Haze Blue created by the brand Louie et Lucie. Not only is it a timelessly classic layering piece in a gorgeous colour, but it features a sweet little heart motif that feels so fresh and springtime perfect all at once. Available in modern ladies sizes Small and Medium only at the time of writing. $119.01 (New Zealand dollars) from Vintage Heaven.}

{Oh peach, how I love you (and so, coincidentally, does my husband). Though I usually need to stick with shades that have pink, rather then yellow, undertones, this is a classic colour that I'm crazy about and which I eagerly look forward to slipping into again bright and early spring (and I continue to sport it clear on through to at least September). This mid-century inspire short sleeve peach Martha blouse is just the thing if you're looking to add more of this great fruit inspired hue to your wardrobe this year. Available in modern UK ladies sizes 8 to 18 (some sizes sold out at the time of writing). £40.00 from Heyday.}

{I can clearly remember the moment I found this enchantingly pretty 1950s mint green Swiss dot and white lace trimmed skirt late one afternoon while shopping in Vancouver last year. It was too small for me and in years past, it would have simply remained where it hung, but thanks to the fact that I have an Etsy store now, it was able to come home with me and, much more recently, get listed in my said shop. It's a delightful, very classic piece that could be styled up or down, taken in a vintage direction or sported with modern outfits, too. Plus, every time I see it, it puts me in the mood for mint candy, which is never a bad thing! :) Fits up to a 24" waist/free hips. $34.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.}

{Lilacs, undoubtedly one of spring's most iconic and magnificently scented flowers amongst those smells, I've long found, that people absolutely love or can't stand. Interestingly, it has usually been chaps, in my experience, who weren't keen on it (Tony amongst them, though he says their odour gives him a headache, so it makes sense that he wouldn't love them then). I however fall into the camp of adoring lilacs and could bath in nothing but their scent all spring long. Thankfully thanks to this gorgeous lilac roll on scented oil you and I can do just that, if so desired. $8.00 for 10 ml from Etiquettes.}

{You would be hard pressed to find a more beautiful beaded mid-century vintage purse to carry for spring than this breathtaking white and pastel stunner featuring a gorgeous floral design in shades of soft pink, green, blue, purple and yellow. $59.99 from Savato Collection.}

{Hurrah!! At long last (or very nearly so) thick winter glove and mitten season is over and that means we can go back to sporting gloves simply for the fabulous fashion statement that they make, not expressly for keeping frostbite at bay. If, like me, you go gaga for mint green, then this elegant ruched 1940s/1950s pair, which suits spring and summer excellently, is just what your wardrobe needs. Best suited for those who wear a size 6.5 vintage glove. $18.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.}

{It's never too early in the warm weather season to start thinking about your next vintage bathing suit, especially when it's a show-stoppingly stunner like this rare Tina Leser pink and white 1950s one-piece featuring dimensional pussy willow chenille embellishments. Fits up to a 32 - 34 bust/26" waist. $259.00 from The Best Vintage Clothing.}

{Give your brown, black, grey, and navy blue shoes a much needed rest this spring and slip into a pair of these alluringly stylish cream coloured Retro Mary Jane Heels instead. They'll go with just as many outfits, but suit spring's soft, elegant palette even better than dark hues in most settings (plus, they would make for gorgeous shoes for a bride on her wedding day). Available in modern ladies sizes 7 through 9 (at the time of writing). $54.95 fromBlue Velvet Vintage.}

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Can you say the title of today's edition of Vintage Fashionista three times fast with tripping up? Jokes (and tongue twisters) aside, March really is a month that suits pastels incredibly well (ditto for April). These fledgling days of spring - or near spring, as is currently the case - are mellow and sweet, assuming winter's wrath is finally hightailing it out of your neck of the woods.

Winter's palette, dark, alluring, vampish even at times, was fabulous December, but it feels heavy now - like trying to eat a rich five course feast on a sweltering July day, when a light salad and lemon ice are all that want to put in your mouth. Pastels are the sweet confections and frozen treats of the colour world. Though they can be a touch twee (not that that's a bad thing), they also have the ability to be sophisticated and very chic, say in vintage skirt suit or 1940s tilt hat form.

I adore pastels - even if a few of them, such as orangey-peach and lilac - are not amongst my most flattering colours and thus must be avoided in large doses and worn near my face - and intentionally sport them primarily during the spring and summer months (though I have warmed up to them a bit for winter, as I chatted about in this post last year, they'll never feel like autumn to me, so I rarely wear them then).

While one certainly can, you don't have to sport head-to-toe pastels in the slightest. A small hit of baby blue, cotton candy pink, or newborn chick yellow against darker neutrals or complimentary shades of the same colour can look immensely beautiful and perhaps, some might go so far as to say, become a grownup up take on pastels. I wouldn't agree with that entirely, as again, a pastel suit, cocktail dress, evening gown, or pair of gloves, for example, can all be wildly sophisticated and appropriate for fashionable folks of all ages.

We often think of just a few shades when pastels spring to mind, but really they're a fairly vast category that can, and does, encompass everything from the hues already mentioned in the paragraphs above to light grey, pale aqua, soft plum, sweet apricot, the gentlest shades of brown, cream and ivory, nude and buff, whisper faint metallics, lavender, and toned down citrus shades, amongst others.

Though I will sometimes go full on pastel, I usually like to use these soft, but very sartorially powerful hues, as accent notes in my wardrobe, such in the form of a pair of earrings, hair flower, snood, shoes, handbag, or (in a somewhat larger dose) a skirt or cardigan. They're fun and markedly cheerful, and signal to all who see you that you've embraced spring's return with open - and very stylish - arms.

Whether you feel the siren's call of periwinkle, soft blush, sage green, or starlight yellow, why not make like our well dressed Vintage Fashionista and deck yourself out in some sugary sweet, absolutely beautiful pastels this spring?

36 comments:

Ahh I just pasted on a light pink sweater the other day at the thrift (it was gone when I decided I wanted it) I tend not to wear to much pastel personally since I already look young for my age but your post is certainly going to make me keep an eye out and hopefully not pass on anymore great spring items:) You did a lovely round up.

Thank you very much, sweet dear. That is a risk with pastels for sure, but grounding them with very classic/grownup pieces in dark neutrals or understated patterns (basic stripes or a timeless leopard print, for example), can help their tremendously. With a few exceptions (like my 1980s does 40s/50s mint green dress), I rarely wear head-to-toe pastels myself, generally prefer to use them as accents instead of focal points at my age (30).

I'm sitting here in the midst of the giant snowstorm that just hit us yesterday reading about all your lovely vintage flowers, and also reading the paragraph in Du Maurier's Rebecca about the flowers at Manderley, and dreaming of spring. I can't wait for my pastels to take center stage instead of hiding under tweed and scarves.

Oh, there you are, pastels! How I've missed you. I've started wearing pastels on my nails, because I've been longing so much. And I would never go all in on pastels either, you can easily look like an Easter egg if so. Lilacs are one of my favourite flowers too and I adore the smell, I will head directly to the shop and buy the little scent roller. Thank you for putting this lovely spring list together for us. Wishing you both a lovely weekend. :)

Sometimes, I swear, it's like we're two fashionable peas in a pod, my dear friend. I too have, just this week, busted out the pastel polishes for the first time this year and will be keeping them in heavy rotation until fall. Lilac, mint green, and soft pinks are where I usually turn there, but I wouldn't mind picking up a pale yellow, too (don't have one currently), and am sure peach - a colour we were chatting about on my other post recently - will come out to play as well.

That's awesome! I'm very happy to have been able to introduce that brand. I haven't tried their offerings yet myself, but would really like to. This year I'm aiming to buy from several Etsy brands I haven't sampled before and they're on the list.

Tons of hugs & happy weekend wishes coming right back at you,♥ Jessica

That purse-oh my goodness, I love it. I've purchased three thrifted items in pastels in the last few weeks-a baby blue cardigan, a pale pink zip neck sweater and light yellow blouse with polka dots. I have a hard time with yellow on my skin, but I thought with white jeans and the detail on the blouse, it may work just fine.

Yellow is a tricky hue for me as well. I usually need to stick with the very light or very dark end of the spectrum (ditto for orange). I got bold a couple of years ago and bought a vintage Brooks Brothers button front shirt in whisper soft yellow. It ended up working for me and is now one my favourite go-to shirts for spring and summer, though, really, it can be worn the whole year round and looks great with suits in the chillier months.

**swoon** Your blog always delights me. You offer styles that naturally appeal to me and seeing them on display is like savoring a favorite day-dream. Nobody else's blog affects me as much as yours does. Keep up the good work!

That is immensely lovely - and very touching - to know, Ally. Thank you so much! It's a pleasure to celebrate my unending adoration of the past and fashion with you here and to consistently delve into, or revisit, topics pertaining to those subjects.

May this spring bring scores of great weather and fabulous pastel fashion finds your way!♥ Jessica

What a lovely collection of spring inspiration! Most of my life I've avoided pastels like the plague, but in recent years I have come to appreciate them so much more. I even recently bought a lovely, lite pastel pink cardigan but have not yet gotten the nerve up to wear it. I'm sure by the time the snow melts I'll have come up with a way to style it.

Looking back over 30 years now, I can say that the wearing of pastels has often come in waves for me, though I have always adored them. I'd say I'm really feeling them this year, especially light blue. I don't own much in this hue (one cardi and one skirt spring to mind), and am thinking I might invest in a new baby blue piece or two this season. Your whisper pink cardigan sounds beautiful! I'm sure it will look stellar, however you style it, my sweet friend. Your outfits are always terrific!

For a long time I chose BLACK as my primary color. And, later, for some time - I've chosen black as my only color. Sadly, that was my idea of hiding away.Now, I'm on the other line: I like colors that "pop": reds and greens. But, by all means - I love going around n pastel. Makes one feel so.. (no better words for it) clean and light. :)

That is an absolutely perfect way of describing pastels, I couldn't agree more. They are like a sunny mood in wearable form and I think that's a big part of the reason many of us are so keen to embrace them with open arms when spring finally returns again.

I love pastels! I just bought some mint green shoes in a sale, ready for spring and that adorable cardigan would go wonderfully with them :) but who could resist that bathing suit? What an amazing piece, I'm having a good swoon over that one :) CC x

It is seriously an amazing piece of vintage swimwear - like the kind that stays in your memory forever once you're seen it. If it were mine, I'd wear it tucked into pants, capris and skirts (I'm not a shorts person) like an uber cute tank top, too, not just for frolicking on the beach.

Ooohh, how very lovely! I can confidently say that I've never (so far as I can recall) owned a pair of mint green shoes. That's one of my fave colours ever though, so I'd really like to one day. You sound properly set for spring now, dear gal.

I love pastels! I'm usually afraid to wear them, because I have a bad habbit of staining/marking a lot of the clothes I wear (I'm such a Klutz!) . I love the enamel jewelry the most as I could see myself wearing pastel jewelery with a black top and a patterned skirt. I know what you mean about not-so-flattering colors. Today I tried on a beetroot/pink coloured dress and it made my skin look super green. It fit me perfectly and everything, but I couldn't risk looking like some kind of pixie so I left it behind. I think colours can be most unflattering in big blocks of colour like a dress or top, but in small doses (especially when they are more subdued) is usually fine. I have a lipstick in a very similar colour to that dress, but it doesn't make me look nearly as green...

Oh my gosh, I know just what you mean about certain colours giving your complexion a sickly green cast. That is me in a lot of light purples, fuschia, some lime-y greens, various oranges and yellows, and sometimes (though not always) periwinkle (and no doubt a few others). What a shame that the beet coloured dressed didn't work for you, as it sounds lovely otherwise.

Definitely! That's my trick to wearing any colour - small doses, especially if all the other hues in your outfit are fabulous on you, can ensure one is able to pull off whatever colour they desire. Mixed patterns, like florals and plaids, where the shades are again all flattering, are a great way, too.

Fingers crossed that you have better luck on the colour front with your next shopping trip.

How lovely! It's always great to start a fresh season off with a new garment or two. If there's not too much bulk (extra fabric) up top, you could always try popping a sweater/jumper or cardigan over it and essentially turning the bottom into a skirt (with or without a belt involved). Another trick I like to use with more billowy styles of dresses is to use a long (often narrow) scarf as the belt. The two together usually create a great boho vibe (though with the right dress and right scarf, it can also be very 1950s alla Claire Mccardell.

yummy candy colors!!!!!just today i pulled out a silk carré with a flower&berry print in that typical muted 50´s pastels to wear while grocery shopping and eating pizza downtown. first sight of spring in my wardrobe :-)sunny greetings to canada!!!!! <3 <3 <3

They really are reminiscent of a sweet shop, aren't they? I think that's part of the reason that pastels have such endearing appeal. They make of think of candy, ice cream, and other extra special treats that, much like spring itself, are cause for celebration.

Your Saturday sounds marvelous!!! I'm stuck doing business taxes (6th solid day in a row - with a bit of luck and very little sleep, I hope to be done come tomorrow), so I won't be out enjoying the day in any pastels at the moment. Hopefully next weekend! :)

They really are smashing! So light, airy, happy and and beautiful. It's still a bit chilly and wintry here, so I haven't busted out the pastels yet really, but any day now, the tides of weather will change and you'll have a hard time getting me out of them all season long! :)

Tons of hugs & many sincere thanks for all of your great blog comments today,♥ Jessica

I just love reading the names of all those colours. I very much like pastels to look at and in small doses on myself. I have to be careful with them as my skin tone is very pink and white and I can look horribly washed out. They are the colours that call out in spring time though. That bathing suit is amazing and that is a fine array of jewels from your shop!

Same here when it comes to my own outfits. This weekend I've been smitten with peach. I was wearing peach accessories and nail polish yesterday, but alas the weather was too rough (super strong winds that kept whipping dirt and debris from the street in our face all day when we were out and about thrifting) for a shoot. I'll just have to sport the same outfit again soon on a day with calmer weather.

Why, thank you! It was pure coincidence that I happened to have so many pale hued, springtime perfect pieces in stock at the moment. I especially love the pastel green gloves. They're as pretty and inviting as a dish of mint ice cream! :)

I love pastels too, particularly teamed with black. It's astonishing how quickly this year has gone by already and now the trees are full of blossom and the birds are gathering nest building materials, which made my hunt for a winter dress defunct, I just waited too late, but on the plus side, I could pick a Spring like palette instead!I hope you're well xxx

I'm Jessica, a lifelong lover of all things antique and vintage, especially those from the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

This blog is my visual scrapbook in which I record and share my thoughts on the multitude of sources, people and products that inspire and feed a modern gal's addiction to the past. I also post about the vintage clothes, hairstyles and make-up looks that I adore wearing.

Stay a spell and have a blast as we explore the incomparably fantastic world of vintage history and fashion together.

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PS...I just wanted to say thank you very much for visiting and to tell you that you're equal parts awesome and beautiful.